Journey Again
by chocolateswirl88
Summary: Frodo sighed as he watched a group of children run past his gate once again. When he first left Hobbiton, he hadn’t wanted to go, but it came so fast. And while he traveled he had wanted to go home. But once he returned, he longed for the road once again


Journey Again

By chocolateswirl88

_A/N: Just thought I'd play the Lord Of The Rings Characters a bit D I don't know the statistics of the books…Yes, I HAVE read the books, but with my memory, I tend to forget how many years have passed and what not. I'm just taking the concept and molding it to my story. So please, don't flame me!_

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Lord Of The Rings! That goes to the wonderful Professor J.R.R Tolkien! I'm just simply playing with the characters…grins**

Hobbiton always looked lovely in the summer time. The air was never to hot or sticky to spend a perfectly nice day in the yard watching the children playing along the dirt roads and in the fields and gardens. The small country was undiscovered by the world of men and elves, which was a wonder. Many rangers would pass their country and never thought as to what could possibly be inside. Most of the hobbits were thankfull for this, detesting the outsiders that were not hobbit descent. Frodo Baggins longed to be on the roads again.

It had been nearly fifteen years since he had returned home from his quest to Destroy The Ring. He and his three other hobbit complanions; Sam, Pippin, and Merry found adjusting to the Hobbit life difficult, even after all of these years. It was too much of a simple life. There were no worries, no dangers, no threats. To Frodo and his company, it was borring. But they stayed.

Frodo sighed as he watched a group of children run past his gate once again. When he first left Hobbiton, he hadn't wanted to go, but it came so fast. And while he traveled he had wanted to go home. But once he returned, he longed for the road once again. Frodo dared not tell anyone, not even Sam. Things could have possibly gotten ugly if he thought about leaving once again. Even if Sam missed traveling, he had started a family and brought Frodo into it. If Frodo were to leave, he'd devistate Sam.

But that didn't stop him from the desire and longing to be traveling once again. He would spend hours sitting outside and just looking over Hobbiton, following the roads for as long as his eyes could follow them. They never seemed to get any longer, which bothored him.

Frodo was too lost in his own world to realize that it was beginning to get dark. He sighed before finally heaving himself from his garden bench and going back inside. Closing the round door behind him, he ventured into the kitchen to find something to eat for a late supper. Cutting a few slices of cheese and bread, he sat at his table and ate in silence.

_'I can't stay here.' _His mind reeled a thousand miles a minute. But could he leave? Should he leave? What would happen to Sam, Pippin, and Merry if he did go? Surely they would understand he was no longer happy in Hobbiton. Surely Merry and Pippin would go with him. Sam would stay behind because of his wife and two children, but he would be upset. It was all so confusing. To stay and be unhappy, or to go, leave it all behind and upset Sam, but be happy. _'Inner demons are a pain.' _Frodo thought, tracing a finger along his wooden plate. _'Just like the nazgul.' _He smiled. No matter how haunting his quest had been, now he thought of it as a brilliant adventure. The ring had been bothersome and weighing, but now he could ignore it.

A swift glance out of the small round window told him that it was very late into the night. The moon shone brightly over the large lake near Bagend, and the stars twinkled in the sky like little dancing children. Frodo smiled again, and pushed himself from the table to look out over the darkened Hobbiton. His heart gave a maddening leap. He made his decision.

He would leave.

And he slept peacefully for the first time in fifteen years.

The next morning seemed glorious in all its efforts to welcome the new coming day. It was early, just after dawn. The sun was slowly making her climb to the highest point in the sky, waking every bird and animal from its slumber. It woud be another hour before the first farmer would rouse and tend his farm once again. Stretching and stiffling a yawn, Frodo wandered back to one of the back rooms where Bilbo's old things were laid after he went back to Rivendell.

The room was neatly organized. Nothing lay about where it shouldn't be, or it getting in the way. Frodo's eyes wandered through the old books and maps that were neatly sorted on the four bookshelves lined up against the wall. He bent over and plucked a book from its place with the others. Frodo found what he was looking for.

It was a book of plain parchment. The one Bilbo never used unless he would go on another adventure and recreate maps as he traveled. When the old hobbit left, he had forgotten the book. Maybe it had been done on purpose, knowing Frodo would take it with him on his journeys. No one could now. Sam thought it was odd to have a plain parchemented book amongst the ones filled to the brim with words and pictures. He had said to throw it out, it was a waste of space, and to go down to the market place and get another book. He was awfully glad he hadn't listened to Sam, and hid it near the bottom where he never looked.

His eyes wandered to the window that looked out to the south. A road seemed to travel forever on and on. Frodo smiled again to himself. _'Yes, today is the right day.' _

The day progressed slowly, but it seemed to go faster to Frodo. He didn't mind it so much. Even if it was early afternoon, nearly luncheon, he wouldn't pack untill later when he planned to leave. But first, he needed to go see Merry and Pippin. If they were to come with him, then they must plan a time where they would meet and leave Hobbiton, then he would go see Sam.

Frodo guessed it was nearing one in the afternoon. Placing his lunch dishes in the center of the table, he grabbed his elven cloak and left Bagend for Merry and Pippin's house in Buckland.

It was a decent two hours by foot, but Frodo didn't mind. He liked the feel of the dirt road under his feet. He felt alive again. Passing trees, valleys, underbrush, gardens, hills, it was like starting all over again. When he arrived to Buckland, he spotted Merry and Pippin at the little market place, haggling with an old female hobbit for something he couldn't see. Frodo didn't have to say anything, they looked over to his direction and for a split second did nothing, then tore off to meet him.

They met with a series of long hugs and friendly laughter. Pippin noticed that there was something in Frodo's eyes he couldn't quite understand.

"What brings you here to Buckland?" He asked, clapping Merry on the back. "It's been a while since you've been here. Something happen?" Frodo shook his head.

"Oh no, nothing happened." Frodo reassured them. "I've deicded I'm leaving Hobbitton. I'm not happy here, I haven't been since we returned. The road calls my name, and I long to see some of the sights that Bilbo had seen that I have not. I came to ask you, I know you two are not happy here as well, to ask of you wished to join me." Merry looked to Pippin who nodded.

"Yes, I do belive it's time to leave." Merry said, running a hand through his curly mess of hair on top of his head. "It would be nice to see the world again. When will we leave?"

"I've planned to go late this afternoon, nearly sunset I gather. Where should we meet?"

"By the old green dragon." Merry said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "And take the same road that you and Sam left on. We could travel to Bree again and go east instead of west and see where the road takes us." Pippin and Merry bore the same grins that Frodo was wearing.  
"Excellent! I'll meet you two there by six. Bring ponies, and may I take one back to Bagend with me? I wish to return in shorter time than it took to get here. It might take a while to convince Sam I am leaving." Pippin nodded as he rushed over to the nearest shed of ponies that the hobbits of Buckland would share. He brought back a handsome looking poney with white hide. Frodo nodded. "I will see you at the green dragon!"

Frodo had finally come to Sam's home within nearly and hour and a half of traveling by pony back. The sun was still out, casting an orange glow over Hobbiton. To the hobbits, this meant that it was for supper. He could hear the clinking of spoons on pots and merry talk and laughter inside Sam's hobbit hole. Frodo sighed, he had to do this now before it was too late. He knocked three times.

"Coming coming!" Sam's voice called. "I'm getting the door Rosie! You mind after the meal!" The door opened with a slightly creak. "Mr. Frodo! What brings you here at this hour? Shouldn't you be eating already?" Frodo gave a weak smile and walked inside and stood in the doorway. "Tell you what, why not stay here for supper?" The aging hobbit sighed.

"I can't Sam." He said sadly. Sam gave him a quizzical look, not understanding what was going on. "Sam, I have to leave."

"But you just got here! Surely you can stay for supper!"

"No Sam, I have to leave Hobbiton." Sam's face fell suddenly, looking like he was nearly to tears and he hadn't even heard the excuse yet.

"But why Mr. Frodo?" Frodo felt a sharp twang in his heart. He felt badly about leaving, but he had to do it.

"I'm not meant to stay here." He said softly, placing a hand on Sam's shoulder to silence the new found questions. "Ever since we came home from Rivendell after the ring was destroyed, I wanted to be on the road again, traveling. I'm no longer happy here Sam, neither are Pippin and Merry. We've decided that it's time to travel once again. Go back to Bree, Rivendell, LothLorien, and to the places that Bilbo had gone and we have not seen."

"No Mr. Frodo! You can't leave!" Sam cried, tears streaming down his face. Frodo enveloped his friend into a tight hug, letting the other hobbit cry away all his grief. Rosie and their children came into view, looking confused. "You can't leave, I won't let you!" Frodo gave an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry Sam. I will miss you." Frodo spoke softly. "But it's time for me to leave. I'm not meant for Hobbitton any longer. I've come to say good-bye Sam." Sam looked up at Frodo, tears still in his eyes. Sam's children came forward to be picked up one last time by Frodo. Rosie gave him a kiss and stood back.

"Where are you going Uncle Frodo?" The small girl asked.

"All over the place." Frodo smiled at her, poking her nose gently. "You take care of your Mummy, Daddy, and brother for me will you?" She nodded, wrapping her small arms around his neck and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You to lad." He kissed the small baby boy and stood upright again. "We'll meet again." He informed Sam and Rosie. "Maybe not anytime soon, but we will meet again, I can guarantee you that." With that, he left, closing the door behind him and mounting his pony once again.

"Come, supper is ready." Rosie said, taking her daughter by the hand and leading her into the small kitchen. Sam gave one last sad look to the door, picked up his son, and said good-bye to Frodo in a silent prayer.

Merry and Pippin were already at the green dragon when Frodo arrived. They smiled, not saying anything as they took one last look at Hobbitton. Frodo sighed, running a hand through his wooly hair, breathing the hobbit air once again. He turned and smiled at his compainions, mounting his pony.

"Off to another adventure!" He said, patting the book that was sitting on his lap. Merry looked at it questionably.

"A book of maps?" He questioned, Frodo shook his head. "Of what then?"

"Plain parchment." Pippin grinned.

"To make maps of our own adventure and tell our own story." Pippin said, patting his pony as they rode off, hobbiton and the sinking sun behind them.

The End.

_A/N: What do you think?_


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